One-day cricket losing fans to T20 games Down Under

Sydney: One-day internationals in Australia will be witnessing record low visitors as cricket fans now prefer to watch Twenty20 games. Coming in the backdrop of the upcoming 2015 World Cup, which will be hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, Australia`s imminent T20 matches against Sri Lanka at ANZ Stadium and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will see twice as many fans as they were in the recent ODIs.

About 45,000 visitors are expected at the ANZ Stadium and up to 50,000 at the MCG, the report adds. The best crowd for a 50-over game was seen in the recently finished ODIs against Sri Lanka, which took place at the MCG, with 27,000 visitors. This figure was almost 20, 000 less than the domestic Big Bash game between the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Renegades. About 21,000 fans attended the T20 domestic Sydney Thunder versus Sydney Sixers match at ANZ in comparison to the 22,000 present at the doomed ODI against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Perth is the only state capital to be hosting an ODI game, starting with the first two matches against West Indies in the five-game series. However, World Cup organising committee chief executive John Harnden takes hope from the fact that one-day cricket still has good rates, with each match attracting almost a million viewers on Channel Nine. Harnden added that an international event like the World Cup will help in bringing back the fans to one-day cricket, due to the prestige and context centered on the game. Claiming that the T20 format will always impact Test and one-day cricket, Harnden said that the World Cup committee needed to work together with Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket for attracting crowds to the game.